FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- A 4-year-old boy who called 911 after his mother collapsed last year was flown to Washington, D.C., with his parents to be recognized by members of Congress on March 4.
Tony Sharpe of Eielson Air Force Base is also being honored by the American Red Cross of Alaska in Anchorage next month.
Tony was playing with his train set on April 10 when his mother collapsed on her way to the bathroom. Courtenay Sharpe later learned that she had had a gall bladder attack.
Without hesitation, the boy summoned paramedics to his family's apartment in North Pole by calling 911. Tony had learned about calling 911 from the book "It's Time to Call 911: What to do in an Emergency," a gift from his grandmother.
The deed resulted in attention from local and national news media and landed Tony an invitation to appear on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
Courtenay Sharpe said she turned down an invitation from "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" because her son would have had to appear alone. Later, the book's publisher called asking whether Tony would appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in Chicago. Tony's mom again declined.
"I didn't want to yank my son all over the country," Sharpe said. "I felt that he got his 15 minutes."
But Sharpe changed her mind when the E-9-1-1 Institute came calling. The institute is the nonprofit, educational arm of the E-9-1-1 Caucus, which consists of members of Congress who want to enhance the 911 emergency response system.
"My son said, 'Do we get to meet the president?'" Sharpe said.
Tony is receiving the 2007 Citizen in Action award and is one of eight people, including a dispatcher and a first responder, to be honored by the institute. More than 500 people, including members of Congress, are expected to attend a gala at the Historic Union Station, said Carla Anderson, deputy director of the institute. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first 911 call.
Sharpe is the first Alaskan to be honored by the institute, Anderson said. Tony will receive a glass plaque with his name on it. The institute has been hosting an awards gala for the last five years.
Tony is equally as excited about traveling in an airplane as he is about receiving the award.
"The hotel where we are staying, it has a swimming pool," he said. "And we're going to get on a train. And we're going in the White House. That's where the president lives."
Sharpe said the institute or its sponsors will pay for the family's air fare and hotel room. The family plans to visits museums and monuments during the five days in the nation's capital.
"We're really grateful," she said.
This will be the first visit by Tony and his father to Washington, D.C. Courtenay visited the capital city when she was a child.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, both belong to the E-9-1-1- Caucus, but Anderson could not confirm that either would attend the event.
Stevens praised Tony in an E-9-1-1 press release stating, "I am proud to welcome Tony Sharpe and his family to our nation's capital. Tony's heroic actions saved his mother's life after his family taught him how to dial 9-1-1. I hope this will serve to inspire other families with young children to teach them how to react in an emergency situation."
Tony called 911 a second time in October when Courtenay suffered an asthma attack, she said.
The American Red Cross of Alaska is recognizing Tony at its annual heroes breakfast on April 8. Tony turns 5 on April 1.